Page 46 of The Kingpin's Call Girl

Edie tries a compliant smile. “I’ll gladly do whatever you say.”

I settle my hand onto her thigh and lower my voice. “Don’t play a game you can’t win.”

“What? You wanted me to smile last time.”

“You think you can play a part with me? Hide from me? I’ll find you.”

“I’m right here.”

I slide my hand down before gathering the silky fabric and pulling up her skirt, exposing more and more skin under the table. I lean in, and in a low voice only she can hear, say, “I’ll find you so hard.”

She blinks, keeping up the bland look. “I’m here for whatever you want.”

“No, you’re not. You’re trying to deny me it.” I slide my hand higher.

Her chest jerks with the sudden intake of air when I hit the edge of her panties. She widens her eyes. “Whatever you say.”

I don’t like this. I don’t like it at all, but the next course is here. “Byrek,” I say to her. “Thin layers of phyllo with cheese, spinach,chicken, and pumpkin. Delicious.” I remove my hand from her thigh long enough to load a bit onto her plate and then mine. “They make an incredible red sauce.”

“Really not hungry.”

Yeah, right. She’s nothungry; she’s full-on ravenous.

Shouts come from a table up front. West is tussling with one of the diners near the door.

A man stands.

West grabs something—a plate, from the looks of it—and marches out the door. He comes back empty-handed. More people are standing now. More shouts.

The guys are looking at me expectantly. My brother would’ve gone ballistic at a guy acting out. He didn’t like anything to be out of his control. All those years I didn’t see him, but I know what he was.

“West’s a big boy,” I say. “Free to be as fucked up as he wants to be, as long as it doesn’t affect the clan.”

Kress the Shadow smiles. The guys approve. Guys like this don’t take to a short leash.

West comes back looking outraged. “Bringing circle cookies into an Albanian restaurant?”

“No!” Orton barks. “What? No!”

I stifle a groan.That’swhat it was about?

“I told them to take them out of the restaurant, but...” West shakes his head. “Feeding circle cookies to their kids just days before Good Friday.Hereof all places!”

He and Orton bond over that while Florian grumbles darkly.

I look over at Edie. She’s curious as hell, but she doesn’t want to ask because she’s desperate to play her game.

“It’s not exactly common knowledge,” Kress the Shadow says.

“There’s a menu,” Florian says. “They can choose from that. They decide to bring in outside food, and it’s circle cookies?”

“Circle cookies,” I growl, just to fuck with Edie. “What the fuck?”

The waiter comes back. “I’m so sorry, Mr. Zogaj. If I’d seen they had such cookies, I’d have taken them out myself.”

“Of course,” I say. “Comp their dinner and get them out of here.”

Edie’s watching the side of my face. If she wants to know, she can ask.

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